Nagaimo Soy Pudding : 山药豆乳布丁

When I was in Taiwan a few weeks ago, my favourite cold appetizer dish at meal time was the Nagaimo. (山药/淮山) Prepared and served in a variety of ways, they were crunchy and totally refreshing. Long known for its medicinal values, the Chinese have always used them to balance the yin and yang energy in the body. It has been used to treat digestive, repiratory and diabetes problems ... in short, this is  a healthy root vegetable and is often featured in macrobiotics diet.

I have not exactly been a big fan of this root until recently. I recall my first encounter with it was at a Japanese restaurant almost 20 years ago. My Japanese boss had ordered a Chirashi Sushi topped with a white gooey blob- the musilaginous consistency of which was not appetising at all. Then many years later, my Taiwanese colleague invited me to his house for dinner. His wife prepared a bland looking porridge with sliced Nagaimo-it was dull and tasteless. I recall her raving about the nutritious value of the root but I was not quite impressed.

When I was in Taiwan a few weeks back, the Nagaimo was in season and we practically had it for every meal as a cold starter. Usually prepared simply by chilling the cut roots, they were served like a salad drizzled with a fruity, tangy plum sauce. With a pear like crunch, it was absolutely delicious. This time round, I became truly hooked. When I got back, I started to look for recipes that feature the Nagaimo. I found a couple in my Japanese cookbook (Delicious Macrobiotic Meals) and I couldn't wait to experiment with them.


The first recipe I have chosen to work on is a dessert dish where the Nagaimo is grated and cooked with soy milk and agar powder. Very low in calorie, this dense, mousse-like dessert is delicious when eaten with a drizzle of maple syrup. 0% guilt and 100% goodness - I have just found a new favourite addition to my diet plan!

Recipe :

Nagaimo                 50g
Powder agar           1 tsp
Soy Milk                1/2 cup
Maple syrup           To serve

Method :
1. Peel the skin of nagaimo. (Wear gloves as you do this as the sap on the skin will cause skin irritation) Wrap peeled nagaimo in plastic wrap and microwave for 3-4 mins.
2. Mash (1) while still hot with a fork.
3. In a saucepan, add (2), soy milk and powder agar. Cook over low heat until mixture is smooth and thickened.
4. Pour (4) into molds and chill in refrigerator until set.
5. Demold and serve with maple syrup.

Macrobiotic Experience In Korea

One of the problems of traveling for business is the tendency to over eat and to eat unhealthily. I have tried my best to eat in small portions throughout this trip in Korea and I am still nursing my disappointment over my colleague's choice of a family seafood buffet dinner the night before. It was a place where one goes for quantity than quality. Food was at best mediocre and I watched in resignation as my colleague happily devoured plates after plates of cold crabs.

Hence, when my ex-colleague,who is now my customer, told me he was going to take me to an impressive restaurant, I couldn't contain my curiosity. Perched on a steep little hill in the outskirts of Daegu, the restaurant has a little farming patch behind the main building where it grows its own vegetables. To the side of the restaurant laid huge urns of preserved kimchi.

The restaurant exudes an air of raw simplicity which was extremely calming. I must say I was a little apprehensive about the type of food they were going to serve, worrying that I would be eating tasteless bark-like food.

The first dish was a green bean porridge with a mild comforting taste. The next dish was a colourful plate of various roots and stem cut to the finest shreds. Eaten with the colourful pancakes pigmented with natural vegetable colour and flavoured with the Yuzu dressing in the center of the plate, this dish is refreshingly uplifting - instantly instilling in a sense of general well being.

The next dish is  bamboo shoot tossed in a flavourful sweet spicy sauce. Do not be fooled by the intense colour of sauce, it actually tastes quite mild. Nothing on the table tastes over-powering. Tastes are mild but the elegant subtle flavours will not escape you.

I especially like the next dish which is a salad dish dressed with a fruity vinaigette. Accompanied with crisp  nashi pears and topped with dried persimmons, I never dreamt that salad can taste so good.

The cabbage did not leave a deep impression with me but in-line with the rest of the dishes, it was subtlely flavoured allowing the natural sweetness of the cabbage to manifest.

What I have shown above are only the starters and the portion in the photos were meant for 2 person. I did not take pictures of the main dish as I was busy eating. The main dish was a very beautifully charcoal grilled fish, seasoned just right with Chinese herb infused sea salt and served with fluffy brown rice. (yes, brown rice can be fluffy)

I am in awe at the way they have managed to accentuate the natural flavours of the vegetables with equally natural and healthy seasoning. Without fuss, without gimmick, this meal is totally unforgetable. It has made me curious about Macrobiotic food and I will definitely find out more about this interesting lifestyle.

Staying Healthy With Beetroot Juice

Beetroot is seldom featured in Asian cooking...at least I don't remember seeing this in any Chinese dishes.
I do vaguely remember trying to use this in a salad once but, I didn't quite like the way it bled like an open wound making the dish look like someone just had a bloody fight over it...  This is also a vegetable that is not quite readily available at our local supermarkets. The benefits of the beetroot has been gloriously lauded. It is definitely a detox superhero. Reputed to be one of the best liver-cleansing vegetables, it also helps to nourish the nervous system and brain with trace metals and folate. Betacyanin, the pigment responsible for the deep red colour of the vegetable is also a powerful antioxidant.

The more I read about the benefits of beetroot, the more I feel I should find some way to incoporate this into my diet. The easiest option is to turn to my juicer. There are no shortage of recipes for beetroot juice on the internet. The version I have picked is from my little juice book which consists of 2 other power food , the carrot and orange.
The good thing about a beetroot juice is, the natural beet sugar actually makes a pleasantly tasty drink - no dread about gulping down liquid grass.

And oh,... one more tip for friends in Singapore- you can find beetroot in Carefour , Cold Storage but the cheapest beetroot can be found..... at Little India!

So eat beetroot and be healthy!



Recipe :

250 g              Carrot
125g               Beetroot
1                     Orange
125g               Strawberries (optional)

Process:

1. Juice the carrot, beetroot and orange to get juice.
2. If using strawberries, transfer juice from (1) into processor with strawberries and blend until smooth.

Detox, Detox - Ginger Tea & Cardomom Chamomile Tea

I don't want to see another pineapple tart, another peanut cookie or another slice of Kueh Lapis. I have sinfully, shamelessly over eaten. My digestive tract has been so overstuffed that the sight of even the most delectable food begins to irk me. I can feel a constant bloatedness. It has only been 2 days and I have actually taken care to skip breakfast and only eat lunch and dinner but still I can literally feel the wall of my stomach and digestive tract lined with a stubborn layer of fat, undigested goo...

I have to work off some of those extra calories and purge the rest out fast! After taking my bike out for a 20km spin, I feel decidedly  revitalised. I may be imagining it, but I thought my tummy felt a little less bloated after the workout.
One of my favourite ingredients for relieving digestive problems and bloatedness is the trusted ginger. As I searched for alternative remedies to aid digestion, I also found a Cardamom and Chamomile Tea which not only helps in digestion but will serve well as a nightcap for a restful sleep as well. Most of us will know the calming effect of chamomile tea and those who frequent Indian restuarants will be familiar with the way they would serve cardamom at the and of a meal to freshen breath and aid digestion.
The beauty of it all is , I have all the ingredients in my larder (yes, again!) - so no sweat and no extra money to be spent :-)


Recipe :

Cardomom & Chamomile Tea
2 tbsp          loose leafed Chamomile Tea.
8                 Cardamom pods,crushed
1 litre           Water

Ginger Tea
100g              Fresh ginger, thinnly sliced
1.5 litres         Water

Method :

Cardamom & Chamomile Tea
1. Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to boil.
2. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 5 mins. Cool 5 mins, strain.


Ginger Tea
1. Combine ingredients in medium saucepan, bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered about 15mins or until liquid has reduced by a third.
Cool 5 mins and strain. (for those who are unaccustomed to the spiciness of ginger, a tsp of honey can be added to sweeten)